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Effects of Coral-Dwelling Damselfishes' Abundances and Diversity on Host Coral Dynamics

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Effects of Coral-Dwelling Damselfishes' Abundances and Diversity on Host Coral Dynamics ResearchOnline@JCU This file is part of the following work: Chase, Tory John (2019) Effects of coral-dwelling damselfishes' abundances and diversity on host coral dynamics. PhD Thesis, James Cook University. Access to this file is available from: https://doi.org/10.25903/yns5%2Dyq13 Copyright © 2019 Tory John Chase. The author has certified to JCU that they have made a reasonable effort to gain permission and acknowledge the owners of any third party copyright material included in this document. If you believe that this is not the case, please email [email protected] Effects of coral-dwelling damselfishes’ abundances and diversity on host coral dynamics Thesis submitted by Tory John Chase (MSc, BS, BA) in October 2019 For the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Marine Biology within the College of Science and Engineering and Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University Townsville, Queensland, Australia i ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am extremely thankful and appreciative to the many people who have contributed to my PhD adventure, and for making this journey exceptionally memorable. My appreciation to all of you exceeds my love for chocolate, which is unprecedented. Firstly, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my supervisors Dr. Mia Hoogenboom and Professor Morgan Pratchett (Team M&M). Thank you for your excellent, endless support, and guidance during my postgraduate research at James Cook University over the last 8 years. You both have been incredibly influential in fostering my science career. Thank you for your insightful comments, patience, and encouragement. Secondly, many thanks to my fellow Hoogenboom lab mates, Allison Paley, Grace Frank, Saskia Jurriaans, Mariana Alvarez Noriega, Tess Hill, and Katia Nicolet. I am very appreciative for all the office chats, fieldtrips, tweets, and sweet (referring to both the attitude and taste of the food present) lab lunches. Despite feeling like an “isolated island” during parts of my PhD (potentially due to the 16 island visits associated with fieldwork), our lab group comradery, laughter, and photoshoots helped with my sanity (i.e. during multiple bouts of “island fever”), perspective, and teamwork during my studies. To my outstanding small chocolate-covered co-authors (M&MS), my research would not have been the same without you and your enthusiasm on the computer, underwater, and in the lab. Thank you to Margaux Hein (for being my eternal cheerleader, life buddy, and mon croissant – I could not have done this without you), Michael McWilliam (but not for your rude comments), and Sterling Tebbett (despite shooting down most of my zany ideas). To Michael Kramer and Simon Brandl, my tin box buddies, thank you for your continued discussions, academic encouragement, gym workouts, adventures, and teaching me Illustrator, which has rapidly become my preferred choice of “semi-work procrastination”. iii Several staff members at James Cook University and various research stations have been extremely helpful in my PhD. For this excellent support I thank Lyle Vail, Anne Hoggett (for taking me in as a surrogate son during my Lizard Island Research Station internship), Gordon Bailey and Andrew Norton (for their continual patience and computer assistance), Debbie Berry, Stratis Manolis, Tammy Walsh, and Rickard Abom (for continual support for logistics during my MSc and PhD), Janice Cran (for helping me find everything on campus), Glen Ewels (for assistance on my hundreds of field trips), and Marta Espinheira (for my 20 times at Orpheus Island Research Station while at JCU). To my scientific colleagues, assistants and friends, Kyle Zawada, Jess Nowicki, Darren Coker, Maria Dornelas, Dan Roberts, Carlos Alvarez-Roa (I’m sorry about your toe), Siobhan Heatwole (for constant smiles), Miguel Baptista, José Ricardo Paula (Portuguese boys, thanks for making my life on Lizard better) and members of the National Bleaching Taskforce, thank you for all your support during the last four years. Finally, thank you to my Mum and Dad for being great financial sponsors, helicopter parents, editors, and emotional support family members during my postgraduate studies (and my entire life). Thank you for sending over 15 care packages with chocolates, clothes (Mum, I’m 31 years old…), and other fun things to motivate my time in Townsville and in the field. I’m sorry that a 1.5-year adventure in Australia, one of the farthest places away from New Hampshire, turned into 2 years, 4 years, and then 8 years. Despite choosing a college 1288 km away and postgraduate studies even further away (> 152625 km), I’m looking forward to spending less time with you on Skype and more time with you on the same continent (at least in the same hemisphere…I’ll do my best). iv STATEMENT OF THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF OTHERS My advisory team contributed to study conception, design, financial support, editorial assistance for all chapters of this thesis, as well as associated manuscripts and publications. Additional contributors are listed below. Postgraduate Degree Financial Support: • Endeavour Postgraduate Scholarship (PhD) – Endeavour Leadership Program, Australian Government, Department of Education and Training Funding: • James Cook University (JCU) • ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies • Australian Museum Lizard Island Research Station (Post-graduate Internship) Supervision: • Dr. Mia Hoogenboom, Assistant Professor, College of Science and Engineering, Marine and Aquaculture Group, James Cook University, and Chief Investigator, Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies Townsville, Queensland, 4811, Australia • Professor Morgan Pratchett, Professor, Professorial Research Fellow and Chief Investigator, Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, Townsville, Queensland, 4811, Australia Grants: • JCU Higher Degree Research Enhancement Scheme 2018 Conference Support Grant • JCU Higher Degree Research Enhancement Scheme 2017 Doctoral Project Grant • Australian Coral Reef Society Travel Award for Hawaii ICRS 2016 Conference • Golden Key Asia-Pacific Postgraduate Study Award 2014 Collaborators and Research assistants: Mariana Álvarez-Noriega, Professor Andrew Baird, Professor Terry Hughes, Grace Frank, Carlos Alvarez-Roa, Saskia Jurriaans, Allison Paley, Margaux Hein, Michael McWilliam, Sterling Tebbett, Tessa Hill, and Dan Roberts v STATEMENT OF ETHICS AND PERMITS This research presented and reported in this thesis was conducted within the guidelines for research ethics outlined in the James Cook University Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research (2007), James Cook University Animal Welfare and Ethics Statement (2018), James Cook University Standard Practices and Guidelines (2007), James Cook University Health, Safety, and Environment Management System (2017), and Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority Research Guidelines (2017). Specifically, this project was implemented in accordance with James Cook University Animal Ethics, The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, and Queensland Government Fisheries permits. Ethics: • Animal Ethics A2351 (Impacts of aggregating fish on nutrients, sediments, and lifetime reproductive output) • Animal Ethics A2207 (The study of growth rates, demography and life history of reef fishes) • Animal Ethics A2186 (Effects of fish on coral physiology, growth, and survival) for research or teaching involving animals by the Human Research Ethics Committee at James Cook University, in compliance with the Australian Code for Practice for the Care and Use of Animals for Scientific Purposes, and Queensland Animal Care and Protection Act 2001. Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Permits: • Great Barrier Marine Park Authority G13/35909.1 • Great Barrier Marine Park Authority G15/37657.1 • Great Barrier Marine Park Authority G15/38002.1 • Great Barrier Marine Park Authority G15/37950.1 • Great Barrier Marine Park Authority G16/38437.1 • Great Barrier Marine Park Authority G17/39187.1 for use of and entry to zones in the Amalgamated Great Barrier Reef Marine Park section (as established by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act 1975, and the Great Barrier Reef Coast Marine Park (as established by the Marine Parks Act 2004 (QLD)) in accordance with the details set out herein. Queensland Government Fisheries Permits: • General Fisheries Permit 170251 for use in conjunction with James Cook University research practices for specimen collection in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park section (as established by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act 1975, and the Great Barrier Reef Coast Marine Park (as established by the Marine Parks Act 2004 (QLD)) in accordance with the details set out herein. vi GENERAL ABSTRACT Interspecific interactions, particularly positive interactions, between organisms and their physical environment are important forces in shaping ecological diversity and ecosystem structure. In coral reef ecosystems, the associations between habitat-forming corals and coral reef fishes have critical implications for the structure and function of coral reef ecosystems. Coral- dwelling damselfishes rely on branching corals for shelter and confer benefits to their host corals that promote enhanced performance, growth, and colony health. However, there is variability (in strength and symmetry) in both fish-derived and coral responses to abiotic factors and partner ecology. Global environmental change is likely to considerably disrupt fish-coral interactions on reefs through
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